Why You Need A Classic Mustang In Your Life

Mustang. Just saying Mustang conjures a certain image into your mind, doesn't it? But when I say 1969 Mustang, that image gets a lot cooler. I don't know that you can get much cooler than a late 1960s Mustang. But of all the variants, there's one that stands out in my mind as being cooler than the others. And it's this. The Mach 1. This Mach 1 isn't just live right now on Cars and Bids. It's going to be at our first in-person auction held at the Velocity Invitational. If you're familiar with the Velocity Invitational, it's an amazing event. One of the best automotive events of the year. 20,000 spectators, over 400 legendary cars. It is the place to be. And this car will be there May 29th through the 31st. Like I mentioned, this car is being auctioned live. But the auction will happen on Cars and Bids as it normally does. But if you want to come see this car and a bunch of others that we have curated specifically for Velocity, you can do so May 29th through the 31st. The auction on this car starts on the 16th and ends on the 30th. And if you want to come see it in person, well you can at Velocity Invitational. Link will be in the description below. The first generation Mustang was offered in six different performance variants. You had the GT, the Boss 302, the Boss 392, the GT 350, the GT 500, and starting in 1969, this, the Mach 1. The purpose of the Mach 1 was to blend performance and luxury, offering a really performance-focused look, a gigantic V8 up front, and a luxurious interior. And this car really stands out from all of the other models. Like I said, it's got this black hood which is instantly distinguishable. But it also has these rear louvers. It was only offered as a fastback. And it has this black wing on the back. All these details are really cool. Well, this thing looks awesome. But what really matters is what lies under this shaker hood. There were several different engines you could get in the Mach 1. The 351 Windsor, the 351 Cleveland, the 390, and two versions of this. The 428 Cobra Jet. This one is the most desirable because it is paired with this. The ram air intake that protrudes out the shaker hood. The shaker hood was called that because under load, this intake actually shakes separately from the hood. Like I said, everything about this car is cool. It's a serious motor. Cast crank and pistons, 10.6 to 1 compression ratio. It's pretty special. This engine also made about 335 horsepower and 440 pound-feet of torque back in 1969. Or that's at least what Ford would tell you. You see, they wanted this car to be competitive in NHRA racing. And so they wanted to slot into a slightly less competitive category so that this thing could just dominate. Well, they lied about the power figures. And once these things started to race, that was incredibly clear. And so this car had to be moved into a completely different category. But that was just the way Ford did things in 1969. Hilariously awesome. But the performance touches don't just end up here. All Cobra Jet Mach 1s also came with a Traction Mach limited-slip differential. They also came with heavier duty shocks and springs and a thicker front sway bar. There was no rear sway bar in 1969. And the four-speed manual transmission cars like this one came with a different rear shock setup, a staggered setup to help eliminate axle hop. It's all pretty performance-focused stuff. So this car looks the look and talks the talk. But when you hop inside, your perspective on it begins to change. It's nice in here. At least in a late 1960s Ford Motor Company sort of way. There's a lot of leather and the wood in here. Well, the wood in here is not real. It's called simulated teak. But it speaks to Ford's intention with this. They again wanted to blend performance with luxury. And you certainly feel that in this car. Luckily, this one also has something in the middle that's very important. A four-speed manual transmission. You could get this car with a three-speed automatic. But the four-speed is what you want. And this car is incredibly nice. Not only does it look amazing from the outside, but it touts less than 50,000 miles on its odometer. And it comes with an extensive history going all the way back to 1969. And speaking of miles, I think it's time we fire this thing up and go add some ourselves. Time to drive the Mach 1. Now I'm driving this on two roads. One that is twisty purely for your entertainment. And one that is straight for my comfort. And the thing that dominates the experience right away is... You know the expression, this thing is all motor? That's this car. The 428 Cobra Jet, which for those of you who don't speak in cubic inches, 428 translates to about seven liters. It is a monstrous V8. And it is all this car is about. I'm putting it through a corner now. Oh my god. It is... This thing is not built to go around corners at all. It likes going straight. That is what it is best at, no question. The other thing that like... So we'll get into it here in a minute. But the other thing about this car that comes to mind right away is like how in like everything is just way out of whack. The steering is not what you would call accurate. The clutch is pretty good. The brakes are surprisingly bitey right at the top. The shifter is not the most accurate. Once it's in gear, it's actually pretty nice. But finding first gear takes a little finesse. And then it actually feels pretty good. It's on bias ply, so like the ride quality is very soft. And when you made it with as much power as this thing has, you know, there's just a lot going on. But you get on the throttle and it is... I'm shocked. The thing about this car is that like it has... It's modern car performance. But I know that the figures quoted on this car are 335 horsepower and 440 pound-feet of torque. The torque sounds like a lot, but the horsepower might not sound that high. It's without... You drive one of these, it is without question underrated. This thing just pulls. It's just got a lot of power. But that's the reputation these old school pony cars have for being kind of wayward and just having gobs and gobs of power. I mean, that's this car. It is... If you're looking for a precision driving experience, this ain't it. But if you're looking for fun and like just a brute, an old school American brute, that is this thing. You can hear the gate rattling away, but we got straight with no traffic. Here we go. Good Lord. Oh my God. If that speedo is even remarkably, like even slightly accurate, that is amazing. This car rules. Wow. That is... This motor, that is fourth gear and it just rockets off. You know, the car ain't perfect. Like it's the, you know, this, like I said, steering's not great. Chassis is not modern. You know, it is so flawed, but it's so good. That's what makes it good. You're involved with the experience. You know, this car looks cool. It sounds cool. You feel really cool driving it. That's why you buy one of these things. You relive what it was like in 1969. You know, and you cruise with this thing with your arm around your sweetie. And it's just the best. It is so honest to what it's about. It is just like racing for pink slips between lights. Oh my God, it is intoxicating. I just love the level of bravado related to this thing. You know, I mean, like I said, it is not a precision instrument in any, by any stretch of the imagination. But that said, I really enjoy it. It is, you just can't be doing anything else. You're watching the shaker, you know, ram air intake move around on the front of the car. And you just have a good time. This car is about experience. And I've talked a lot about cars that offer unique experiences and how much I've really latched on to older cars. And this thing certainly gives it. It ain't perfect, but that ain't what you're looking for with this Mustang. This thing is just, I adore it. It's a big, silly dog that you just can't help but love. It's like a big Labrador. Nobody hates a Labrador. And if they do, I've got questions about them. But this is just, this is just as American as you like. And it doesn't pretend to be anything else. It's a stiff salute to the United States. And I love this car. I really genuinely think it's cool. And it's all motor, man. You can't help but laugh. This car just, Jesus, this is wild. It just makes me laugh. I love you, you old brute. I just love the bravado with like the whole way this car comes together. Everything, the name, the Mustang Mach 1, the Cobra Jet V8. Everything about it, it's just so American. I just love the character that this car has. Because my goodness, it is tip to stern, nothing but character. And I get the appeal of these. It is not an easy vehicle to use. But for stuff like Woodward Dream Cruise and just going out and driving and just being in a time machine, putting down your phone, being completely involved with the experience. Man, it's special. I'm so grateful to have gotten to experience this one. One as nice as this one is. For those who want this sort of thing, it is very, very cool. And that is the 1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1. Everything about this car is just plain cool. And everyone's reaction to it is pure admiration. I adore these things. I'm so glad that I got to experience this one. And if you've been on the hunt for a Mach 1 Mustang, well, you can buy this one online or in person at Velocity Invitational only through Cars and Bids.